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May 17th, 2013 
FINANCE Minister Penny Wong has urged voters not to “turn off and disengage” with four months to go until the federal election.
Senator Wong told a Committee for Economic Development of Australia post-budget lunch in Melbourne on Friday that Tony Abbott’s budget reply speech had shown the “stark” contrast between Labor and the coalition.
However, she said the minority-held parliament had been difficult and at times the political culture had been “toxic”.
“The temptation to turn off and disengage is real,” Senator Wong said.
“But while you can make a decision to not be interested in politics, you are always affected by the decisions a government makes.”
She rejected commentary that the budget delivered this week was designed to be a “wedge” or trap for the opposition.
“This is not only ridiculous, it is contrary to the facts,” she said.
“This budget fully funded two historic reforms (schools and disability care) of this government over the forward estimates period, and beyond.
“Far from it being a wedge, this is the fiscally responsible approach to budgeting.”
Senator Wong said the opposition was largely to blame for the current political environment.
“Tony Abbott has sought to create a really toxic culture and a very aggressive political culture, both in the way the parliament is run and in the way that he and the opposition speak about politics,” she told AAP.
“But budgets and elections are always about choice, and we need to rise above the toxicity and get to the real issues.
“There’s something much more important at stake here, and that is the future of the nation.”
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